Global agriculture is passing through a distinct phase of transformation as caused by a plethora of endogenous and exogenous factors. A majority of the Asian countries are already caught up in a serious development dilemma, where the sustainable future of agriculture is at stake due to various internal structural contradictions and externally imposed trade or market integration policies. Despite the fact that Asian region has emerged as the ‘power centre’ in the highly market integrated and dynamic global context, there are several contradictions in the organization of agriculture across countries in the region. This paper provides a critical review of the agrarian transformation taking place in the Asian region with particular reference to five countries, viz, Bangladesh, India, Korea, Vietnam and Thailand. It mainly deals with the critical aspects of the agrarian transformation in these countries in the past few decades and the challenges facing their sustainable agriculture. The paper also tries to develop future perspectives and provide critical inputs and useful insights for identifying potential research areas needing rigorous empirical investigations in the specific regional/country contexts.
AhluwaliaIsher JHussainZahid (2004) ‘Development Achievements and Challenges’, Economic and Political Weekly, 39 (36): 4013–4022.
5.
AhluwaliaIsher JMahmudWahiduddin (2004) ‘Economic Transformation and Social Development in Bangladesh’, Economic and Political Weekly, 39 (36): 4009–4011.
6.
AsaduzzamanM (2010) ‘Bangladesh: Facing Old Challenges in a New Context’, in Thapa, (eds.) Agricultural Transition in Asia: Trajectories and Challenges, Bangkok: Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand: 9-35.
7.
BatesR.H. (1981) Markets and States in Tropical Africa: The Political Basis of Agricultural Policies, Berkeley: University of California Press.
8.
BinswangerH.P.DeiningerK. (1997) ‘Explaining Agricultural and Agrarian Policies in Developing Countries’, Journal of Economic Literature, 35(4): 1958–2005.
9.
BlackR., Kniveton, (2008) ‘Demographics and Climate Change: Future Trends and their Policy Implications for Migration’, T-27 Working Paper, Development Research Centre, University of Sussex, Brighton.
10.
ChandRamesh (2010) ‘Understanding the Next Agricultural Transition in the Heartland of Green Revolution in India’,, in Thapa, (eds.), Agricultural Transition in Asia: Trajectories and Challenges, Bangkok: Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand: 65-99.
11.
ChungDo KimDangNguyen Viet (2010) ‘Agricultural Transformation and Policy Responses in Vietnam’, in Thapa, (eds.), Agricultural Transition in Asia, Trajectories and Challenges, Bangkok: Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand: 145-182.
12.
CurranS. R.GaripF.ChungC. Y.TangchonlatipK. (2005) ‘Gendered Migrant Social Capital: Evidence from Thailand’, Social Forces, 84(1): 225–255.
13.
DangKim Son, (2006) ‘Policy Reform and the Transformation of Vietnamese Agriculture’, FAO-RAP (2006), Rapid Growth of Selected Asian Economies: Lessons and Implications for Agriculture and Food Security, Republic of Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, Policy Assistance Series 1/3, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, RAP Publication 2006/06.
14.
DavidJ. GreenRichardW. A. Vokes (1997) ‘Agriculture and the Transition to the Market in Asia’, Journal of Comparative Economics, 25, 256–280.
15.
EvensonR.E.GollinD. (2003) ‘Assessing the impact of the Green Revolution 1960 to 2000’, Science, 300 (5620): 758–7622.
16.
FAO (2009) ‘Selected Indicators of Food and Agricultural Development in the Asia Pacific Region 1998-2008’, RAP Publication, 2009/14, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, October.
17.
Fonseca de, Almeida Frederico (2006) ‘Coping with Rural Transition in Northern Thailand: An Analysis of Rural Economic Diversification and Social Movements’ Response’, A Pro-Graduate Thesis of Sociology and Master’s Programme In Development and International Co-operation, Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy University of Jyväskylä, May2006, pp. 130. https://jyx.jyu.fi/dspace/bitstream/handle/123456789/13569/URN_NBN_fi_jyu-2006339.pdf?sequence=1 (accessed on 4 May 2010).
18.
FfordeAdamde VylderStefan (1995) “Vietnam.” in RanaPradumna B.HamidNaved (Eds.), From Centrally Planned to Market Economies: The Asian Approach, Vol. 3: 335-446, Hong Kong: Oxford University Press.
19.
HerrmannMichaelSvarinDavid (2009) ‘Environmental Pressures and Rural-Rrban Migration: The case of Bangladesh’, MPRA Paper No. 12879, January2009, 28 pp. http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/12879/ (accessed on 4 May 2010).
20.
HossainMahbub (2004) ‘Rural Non-Farm Economy: Evidence from Household Surveys’, Economic and Political Weekly, 39 (36): 4053–4058.
21.
IFPRI (1996) Rice Market Monitoring and Policy Options Study, Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.
22.
IrvingG (1995) ‘Vietnam: Assessing the Achievement of Doi Moi’, Journal of Development Studies, 31: 725–50.
23.
JayasuriyaSisira (2009) ‘Agricultural Policy Reforms in Asia: An Overview of Trends, Issues and Challenges’, FAO-RAP (2009): Agricultural reforms and Trade Liberalization in China and Selected Asian Countries: Lessons of Three Decades, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Bangkok, 2009: 99-113. ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/012/i1032e/i1032e04.pdf (downloaded on 28 April 2010).
24.
KelkarGovind (2009) The Feminization of Agriculture in Asia: Implications for Women’s Agency and Productivity, http://www.agnet.org/library/eb/594/ (accessed on 5 May 2010).
25.
KimTae San (1999) ‘Republic of Korea’, APO, Biotechnology in Agriculture in Asia, Asian Productivity Organization, Tokyo.
26.
LeeSeong WooHyunJoong Kim (2010) ‘Agricultural Transition and Rural Tourism in Korea: Experiences of the Last Forty Years’, in Thapa, (eds.), Agricultural Transition in Asia, Trajectories and Challenges, Bangkok: Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand: 37-64.
27.
MendolaMariapia (2008) ‘Migration and Technological Change in Rural Households: Complements or Substitutes?’, Journal of Development Economics, 85(1-2): 150–175.
28.
PingaliPVo-TongXuan (1992) ‘Vietnam: Decollectivization and Rice Productivity Growth’, Economic Development and Cultural Change, 40: 697–718.
29.
PhrekGypmantasiri (2010) ‘Drivers of Change in Thai Agriculture: Implications for Development and Policy in the New Millennium’, in Thapa (eds.), Agricultural Transition in Asia: Trajectories and Challenges, Bangkok: Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand: 101-144.
30.
PoapongsakornNipon (2006) The Decline and Recovery of Thai Agriculture: Causes, Responses, Prospects and Challenges, in FAO-RAP (2006), Rapid Growth of Selected Asian Economies: Lessons and Implications for agriculture and food security, Republic of Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, Policy Assistance Series 1/3, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, RAP Publication 2006/06.
31.
RasulGolamThapaGopal B.ZoebischMichael A. (2004) ‘Determinants of land-use changes in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh’, Applied Geography, 24(2004): 217–240.
32.
ScottRozelleJohanSwinnen (2009) Political Economy of Agricultural Distortions in Transition Countries of Asia and Europe, Agricultural Distortions Working Paper 82, May, http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/50298/2/Political%20Economy_Transition%20Countries%20of%20asia%20and%20Europe-Agricultural%20Distortions%20Working%20Paper%2082,%20may%202009.pdf (accessed on 25 April 2010).
33.
SiamwallaA (1992) Myths, Demons and the Future of Thai agriculture. Paper prepared for Year-end Conference on Thailand’s Economic Structure: Towards Balanced Development, PoapongsakornNipon (2006) The Decline and Recovery of Thai Agriculture: Causes, Responses, Prospects and Challenges, in FAO-RAP (2006), Rapid Growth of Selected Asian Economies: Lessons and Implications for agriculture and food security, Republic of Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, Policy Assistance Series 1/3, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, RAP Publication 2006/06.
34.
SinghLakhwinderSinghInderjeetGhumanRanjit Singh (2007) Changing Character of Rural Economy and Migrant Labour in Punjab, MPRA Paper No. 6420, http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/6420/, December2007, (accessed on 4 May 2010).
35.
SongJooHo (2006) Perspectives on Agricultural Development in the Republic of Korea: Lessons and Challenges, in FAO-RAP (2006), Rapid Growth of Selected Asian Economies: Lessons and Implications for Agriculture and Food Security, Republic of Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, Policy Assistance Series 1/3, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, RAP Publication 2006/06.
36.
ThaiprasertNalitra (2006) Rethinking the Role of Agriculture and Agro-Industry in the Economic Development of Thailand: Input-Output and CGE Analyses, PhD Dissertation, Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University, Japan, MPRA Paper No.1089, 358 pp, http://mpra.ub.unimuenchen.de/1089/ (accessed on 5 May 2010).
37.
ThapaGopal B.ViswanathanP. K.RoutrayJayant K.AhmadMokbul M. (2010) Agricultural Transition in Asia, Trajectories and Challenges, Bangkok: Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, pp. xxiii+230.
38.
UN-Habitat (2008) State of the World’s Cities 2008/2009. Case Study: Dhaka’s Extreme Vulnerability to Climate Change, UN-Habitat Feature, United Nations Human Settlement Programme, Nairobi.
39.
VepaSwarna, S (2005) ‘Feminisation of Agriculture and Marginalisation of Their Economic Stake’, Economic and Political Weekly, 40 (25): 2563–2568.
